The Muse
by nikinou
Summary: Peggy, Stan and Don discuss Coca-Cola. I worked in actual text from Bill Backer's description of how he and his creative team came up with the idea for the iconic Coca-Cola ad. Bill Backer was the real life creative director on the Coca-Cola account for the McCann Erickson advertising agency.


"Good morning, this is Margaret Olson" Peggy says into the mouthpiece of the phone. "I'd like to make an appointment." Pause. "No, I had my annual last August...I, I need, ummm, a check up...I need to speak to the doctor." She is getting anxious. "Well, for as soon as possible. Weekdays only? Ok, then. Ummm, ok. Preferably early morning or later afternoon. Do you have evening hours?"

Stan gives her a wide-eyed glare, shakes his head and mouths...'Take the first appointment they have' He wants her to make this a priority, not squeeze it into her schedule.

Peggy then says "Or the first open open appointment you have." Another pause. "Ok, Thursday, January 7 , 11:00. Ok, got it." She hangs up the kitchen phone. It is 9:05 am, Monday, January 4th. Peggy and Stan are already running late, but Peggy was paranoid about making this call from the office, which Stan found ridiculous, but had no problem humoring her.

"Ok, great. You're all set, now we gotta get moving. Get your coat on." Stan urges her.

"Will you come with me?" She asks him.

"What are you talking about? I AM coming with you...now let's go."

"No." Peggy says. "To the doctor."

"Yeah, if you want me to" he replies, thinking nothing of it.

"Really?" She is a little surprised.

"Yeah, if that's what you want. Are you nervous, is that it?" He asks.

"A little." She tells him.

. . . .

On Thursday, they go into the office early, arriving at 7:15. Stan sits on Peggy's couch, he is drawing sketches of Coke bottles, Peggy is typing away, the keys are making so much noise. She looks up and over at Stan and smiles and thinks, 'Wow...this is my life. I love my work, I love this man. We were bound by our passions, and now will be bound by a child very soon. How did it finally fall into place? Why was I so blind for so long before?'

Don walks past the office somewhere around 8:00. "Hey Rizzos. Good, you're her early. Come into my office, I want to talk to you both." Don realizes he really likes seeing them together now, as a couple. They were always good as colleagues, this new unity gives him a real sense of hope, he sees the combination of creative work, of love and harmony, so much of what was so abundantly professed in California. They both get up and follow him. In his office, they all sit down.

"What have you two got on Coke? I know we all just got on this...have you two given anything any thought?"

"Well, I think we all realize that youth is what sells now" Peggy begins. "I think this should be our jumping off point."

Don adds "You're right, Peggy. While I was in California, I spent some time at Esalen..."

"Always wanted to go there" Stan interjects.

"You will, Stan. Anyway, there was an overwhelming sense of...I don't know, harmony, which, after you give yourself over to it, you could feel. It was electric. I wanted to harness that feeling somehow. Then, at the airport, on my way back to New York, there were very strong storms, flights were delayed, passengers were asked to remain near the airport. Some of them were furious about the delays and their accommodations. By the next day, I saw some of the most irate passengers in the airport cafe. Brought together by a common experience, many were now laughing and sharing stories over snacks and bottles of Coca-Cola. In that moment I looked at a bottle of Coke in a whole new light... I realized this is more than a drink that refreshes a hundred million people a day in almost every corner of the globe. So I envisioned the words, 'Let's have a Coke,' as more than an invitation to pause for refreshment. They were actually a subtle way of saying, 'Let's keep each other company for a little while.' And I knew they were being said all over the world as I sat there at the airport. This is the basic idea: to see Coke not as it was originally designed to be - a liquid refresher - but as a tiny bit of commonality between all peoples, a universally liked formula that would help to keep them company for a few minutes." Don is pleased with himself, but Stan is not completely bowled over. Noticing that Stan's initial reaction was not at all what he'd expected and asked him, "Stan, do you have a problem with this idea?"

Stan slowly revealed his problem. "Well, if I could do something for everybody in the world, it would not be to buy them a Coke."

Don responded, "What would you do?"

"I'd buy everyone a home first and share with them in peace and love," Stan said.

Don thinks about this and says, "Okay, that sounds good. Let's write that and I'll show you how Coke fits right into the concept."

Stan and Peggy are both happy to see Don's confidence and drive are very much back.

"Oh, and I have been kicking around a tag line. Actually, Stan, it came from Peggy...I called her from California, she was talking about the two of you." Don says.

"Really?" Peggy asks. She can't remember what he might be talking about. Stan is looking at her now, wondering what she could have said that struck Don so.

"Yes. You told me you were marrying Stan, and how happy and absolutely certain you are about him. You told me "It's the real thing". Those words have not left my head since you spoke them. It's strong and positive and to the point in such in elegant manner..."

Don wants to go on and on, but Stan is beaming and literally jumps up from his chair and kisses Peggy, then much to Don's surprise, he kisses Don too. "That's beautiful! Really beautiful!" Stan is happy that this idea for Coke is moving in a great direction, but selfishly happier about Peggy's description of their relationship. He doesn't need to keep reassuring her, she already knows what they have.

Then, excited and nearly giddy, Stan says..."You know what hasn't left MY head, Don? I know you were joking, but your vision of Peggy marrying me on a mountaintop, barefoot, with flowers in her hair!"

Don breaks into a wide smile..."Me too, Stan! We HAVE to work that in!"

"Absolutely!" Stan exclaims. "Peggy, I love you! You are our beautiful, beautiful muse!"

Peggy smiles at both of them, blushing just a little.


End file.
